La Colección
La Colección
In 1545, the discovery of Cerro Rico de Potosí radically transformed the economic history of the Hispanic world. The silver extracted from this mining center, one of the most important of the 16th century, filled the coffers of the Spanish Empire and circulated widely throughout Europe and other continents, becoming a decisive engine of the early global economy.
Before the conquest, silver already held symbolic and ritual value in Andean cultures. With colonial dominance, its use expanded to coin minting and the production of both religious and domestic objects. This room showcases a prominent numismatic collection formed by Guillermo Wiese de Osma, featuring pieces from the Mint of Lima, Cusco, and Potosí dating back to the 17th century, alongside examples of viceroyal silverware that reflect the technical skill and the central role of this metal in everyday, devotional, and economic life of the viceroyalty.
The Lope de Vega House Museum presents Echoes of the art of the Viceroyalty of Peru, an exhibition that invites you to contemplate the strength and resonance of viceroyal art as a bridge between two continents and two ways of looking at the world. More than just a display, this journey is a living echo of the meeting between European tradition and American creativity, where each work — painting, religious object, or everyday item — is a testament to a dialogue that transformed visualities and beliefs into a unique language.
Far from being a simple translation of European models, the art of the Peruvian Viceroyalty reinvented itself at the intersection of knowledge, incorporating indigenous elements, Catholic symbols, and local techniques that generated a unique visual richness. This selection of works, coming from the collection of the Pedro de Osma Museum in Lima, celebrates that fertilization of forms, colors, and meanings, and reminds us that art is simultaneously memory, faith, and a shared community.
